Stranger in the Night
by Chikita
Summary: Alternative Universe Koutoku and Shunkaku are separated at birth, never knowing anything about the other until one fateful encounter at a pond in the forest away from everything. twincest warning


**Stranger in the Night**

One day, fifteen years ago, two babies were born, twin boys, to a servant maid, who, right after the long labour which lasted at over twenty hours, died from blood loss. She left behind two daughters, who were about thirteen and sixteen years old at the time. They, on their mother's deathbed promised to look after their newborn brothers. Little did they know that they would only have to care for one of the two…

One day, before they left the palace, the girls left the palace, in search of their estranged father, the king came to them with a request. For, he was a childless man, his wife unable to get pregnant and they were not young by any means and longed for an heir to the throne, and knew that the girls were impoverished and would barely be able to feed themselves as well as their two infant brothers. With a small sack of gold coins he approached them and made his request.

"I humbly ask of you, would you ladies, in exchange for a handsome sum of money, two horses and three crown jewels, kindly let this old king have one of your infant brothers, for I am without an heir and I need a boy to carry on my name. The child shall be cared for as if he were my own." The king said, as he held out the sack to the two sisters, his eyes filled with sincerity, as he tried to convince the sisters.

The eldest spoke. "Your offer is most kind, sire, but, we can't possibly sell our brother to you. We promised our mother that we would care for them."

"But, I'm not buying; I'm compensating you for the loss of your parent, which is what the gold coins and jewels are for. I request your infant brother for the future of the kingdom and so that this throne has an heir and he will protect our kingdom from foreigners who seek to take over the throne and I and my lady are taken into heaven."

Stepping forward, the younger of the sisters, who held both children, who were bundled up to keep warm, peered closely at the king. "Do you not have concubines, your majesty? Couldn't one of the harlots from your harem serve as a breeding ground for your heir?"

"I do not care much for such things. I am loyal to my queen and I will always be. That is why I wish for you to consider letting one of your brothers stay here at the palace and grow up as my child." The king explained, his eyes shimmering.

The elder sister gazed at the younger; they exchanged glances, speaking with nothing but their eyes.

The eldest sighed and reached over, taking one of the two from her sister. She sighed morosely as she cradled the infant in her arms. "Please, take care of Shunkaku, your majesty. Treat him like your own son and shelter him from the cruel world that is out there. If he is to grow up here, shelter him from the horrors of the life of a peasant."

She held out the child, who the king welcomed with open arms. The child was asleep at the moment, and slept peacefully, unaware of what had just occurred. The child would never know, at least the king prayed the child would never find out the truth."

"Thank you very much, the king and his people thank you deeply."

"Just…just take care of Shunkaku." The elder sister's voice was starting to crack, as she watched the king lovingly cradled the child. She turned to her younger sister, tears brimming in her eyes, "let's we forthwith depart before I snivel…"

Wrapping her other arm around her sister's shoulder, the younger sister, carrying the other infant, escorted her elder sister from the palace. She also carried the king's offerings, as she led them out to the steed that awaited them in the palace's stable.

"At least he'll get treated well."

"But, my sister, what would mother say? What of our father who has been exiled from the kingdom? They aren't our children; they are only our brothers…"

"Mother has sadly been taken from life, and father's whereabouts are unknown. This makes them our children; we adopted them when mother died." The younger of the sisters explained, as she carefully placed the infant in a pile of hay as she prepared the two steeds.

Swallowing the lump in her throat, the elder sister took the infant from the second born. Cradling the infant boy in her arms, she murmured, "I'm sorry you'll never grow up with your twin brother, Koutoku. I'm sorry you won't have the same chance in life as him, but we'll give you the best chance we can with what little we have."

--_ 15 Years Later…_ --

"Young sire, you seem unhappy…" the elderly royal advisor said, as he watched the young prince, a boy, no more than fifteen years old, with deep blue eyes, sandy brown hair and a lean yet strong build, brood.

"You're right, I am. I'm so bored. I want to get out, but mother and father will not, they say it's for my own good. But, it cannot be, I feel like one of my birds, trapped in a cage and unable to leave." The young prince, Shunkaku, who knew nothing of his roots, confessed. "I want to be able to go out and about; I'm tired of staying here at the time."

"But, young sire, there is surely a reason why your parents have done this."

"Enough! I don't need to hear any more if that!" Prince Shunkaku growled, as he stood up, tearing off the regal clothing he wore. In a few minutes, there was to be a gathering in which he would meet the woman that his father had selected for his harem. He didn't want to meet them; it was too much for him, he didn't like the idea of women being herded in like so much cattle for his choosing.

"Young sire…"

"Shut-up! I do not need to hear your ass-kissing pleads any more! Tell my father and mother I will not be picking from the ladies, nor will I be present there tonight. I'm out of here!" Shunkaku declared, as he dropped all but the very basics of his attire.

He turned and ran from the room. He didn't flinch, nor did he gaze back. He was tired of this life style. He felt suffocated; he needed to get out, he needed to breathe, to see the world and to figure out why his parents were so adverse to him venturing out on his own.

He made a brief stop by his opulent chambers, long enough to grab riding boots, a tunic to pull over his shirt and britches. With a quick gaze in the mirror, he seized his short-hand sword and cut off his long pony tail. He shook out his hair, nodded and ran from the room.

He moved quickly toward the stables before the royal delegation had a chance to gather itself and find out to where the young prince had escaped to.

Standing in the stable, young man (he had decided that he didn't want his royal title any more), gazed upon his favourite mare, a fine beast he had been trained to ride from an earlier age. He reached up, stroking its nose, as he fed it a handful of fruit.

Whispering, he stroked behind the mare's ear. "Jia-Lin, you and I will be fleeing tonight, undercover of the night. Ignore everything around you; it'll be all right, girl."

Grabbing the reins, he pulled her out of her stall, equipped her with a saddle and the bags. Seizing the handful of food, he put that in one of the saddle bags. In the other, he then put in water, his dagger and blanket. He checked that his katana was secured at his hip before he gracefully mounted the beast and kicked her into motion.

Leaning forward, he let her gallop full speed toward the wall, muttering encouragingly as she neared, "jump girl, jump!"

He clutched the reins tightly, as he urged his noble mare onward. She whined and protested as they neared the high wall, however, with one miraculous and impeccably timed leap, they soared gracefully over the high wall, making a clean flawless land, which enabled them to gallop off into the sunset; dusk setting in over the kingdom.

Together, they sped through the capital, side-winding innocent bystanders, who were closing down their stalls, trying to get the children to come for supper, or just tidy up their store front. The pair caused many to gasp out and for several people to yell obscenities and cry out that this rider should not go through a busy town like that.

Shunkaku paid no heed to the people, as he urged on his noble mare, until they got to the edge of the city. Then, with one aggressive tug, he veered off into the nearby thicket. Jia-Lin didn't care much for this and whined plaintively as they ventured off the road. Her melancholic neighing once they were out of the thicket and into the forest, where she could comfortable trot at her leisure now that her master got where he needed to be.

Letting her trot at a slow leisurely pace, Shunkaku gazed around; night was coming. He didn't know where they should stop. He figured they might be lucky enough to find a small farm out here where they could spend the night. He didn't count on it though; that would be too lucky.

He smirked to himself. This was certainly going to be interesting, for he had never been out of the imperial court before and didn't know what to expect.

Whining, Jia-Lin tugged at the muzzle holding the reins in place. She motioned toward the water; it seemed she was trying to move there to get a drink, but Shunkaku hadn't quite realised that when he tried to redirect her. After a few moments, it dawn on him, so, he guided her toward the small pond, into which a thin stream trickled into.

Glistening rocks decorated the bottom of the pond. They shone underneath the light of the moon, which had begun to rise up high in the sky. It shone down through the trees, which were not growing together densely, but rather slightly apart in this area.

Kicking off, Shunkaku gracefully dismounted his mare. Taking the reins, he tied her to a tree, removed the saddle and bags, as she began to drink from the cool pond water.

Stroking her mane, he chuckled. "We're alone out here, aren't we? It feels funny, doesn't it? I don't see what's so bad about being out here. Mother and father are much too conservative for their own good; too spoiled to appreciate the great beyond the city."

Sighing, he wrapped his cloak securely around his body. It was getting a little chilly out. He was used to a bit of draft, but this was slightly discomforting. He knew better than to complain though, because it was his choice to have left.

He then gazed at the water. It looked so welcoming…

Smirking to himself, Shunkaku promptly stripped off all his clothes, leaving them in a heap on a rock by the pond's shore and jumped in naked as the day he was born.

The cold water felt so nice and refreshing against his skin.

In the distance, a soft light floated over the dark ground, lighting up a path. The light seemed to be pointed in the direction of the pond. It moved slowly yet rhythmically toward where Shunkaku was taking a midnight skinny dip in the depths of the cold water. He never noticed the approaching light, or heard a sound. His noble mare, was content; lulling herself into a deep slumber and didn't notice the sound of approaching gentle food steps.

The source of the light, evidently a lantern was placed on the ground next to the rock where Shunkaku had placed his clothes.

The carrier of the light arched a fine eyebrow, as he removed his cloak. Never before had he seen anyone at his swimming hole. He felt a need to be cautious, yet, he didn't heed that warning because something told him it was safe for him.

Stripping off his cloak, he folded it neatly. He sat on the edge of the pond, gazing over the gently rippling water, trying to figure out where the mysterious traveller was. He sighed; he would find out soon enough, he reasoned, as he removed his shoes, setting them down neatly beside his cloak. The rest of his clothes soon joined, and they two were neatly folded when they were placed down.

He turned to the lantern and made sure it was still shining enough so he could see. When he appeared directly in the line of the light, it was evident that he took had sandy brown hair, which was kept short for practical reason, and deep piercing blue eyes. His build was also similar to that of Shunkaku, who was blissfully swimming away on the other side of the pond to have noticed he was suddenly accompanied by a visitor.

Gracefully, the newcomer placed a foot, then the other and then eventually his whole body into the water, sending a small rippling wave Shunkaku's way. The sudden motion captured the young prince's attention and he turned his gaze over, noting he was now sharing the pond.

"Good evening, fellow traveller, how do you fare tonight?" he asked as he swam over without causing the water to ripple.

"I'm good, just enjoying a midnight bathe, and of you?" the newcomer asked.

"Taking a break from my travels," Shunkaku replied, as he moved closer then stopped. "Who are you and where are you from?" He didn't know what sparked his curiosity, but, he felt a need to know.

"Me, I'm Koutoku, I live at a small farm in a clearing a mile or so from here. Where, from do you come, stranger?" Koutoku asked unaware that he was speaking to his mirror image; his twin brother.

"I was in the city for a while, and then I left. It was much too crowed." Shunkaku replied, as he began to float on his back. "Who am I? Names really don't matter, I'm not really important, but, if you must know, I'm Shunkaku."

"For a stranger, there is something odd about you; I have a feeling that I should know you." Koutoku whispered as he moved silently toward Shunkaku, who was floating on his back at the moment.

"I can't place it, but, there is something…" he hissed softly against Shunkaku's ear before he leaned over and kissed him on the lips.

Shunkaku gasped; never had he felt such sensations in his life. He didn't know what to make of it, or of the young man that was kissing him. Yet, for some reason, he didn't want to push the young man away; he let him have his way.

Pulling back after a long lingering moment, Koutoku gazed at Shunkaku. "I feel like we should have been together our whole life; like we aren't two whole people, but two halves of a whole."

"Koutoku…" Shunkaku whispered, as he gazed at the face of Koutoku. He couldn't place it. There was something strikingly familiar about the young man's face, but, he didn't know what.

"No, don't speak, Shunkaku." Koutoku whispered, as he dropped his hand under the water, sliding a hand under Shunkaku's back and forcing him on his feet. "Just, let us enjoy something before we go back to being who we are. There is no reality tonight, only what is here."

"But Koutoku… There is something about…" Shunkaku mewed plaintively, as he felt himself surrendering to the gentle ministrations of his stranger. The sensual mature of the touch, drove his mind into an intoxicated state of ecstasy.

"I said, no talking, my dear mysterious traveller. Tonight, we are no one; we are strangers whose paths have crossed and we are on a mission to find the one who is our lost and kindred soul." Koutoku purred, running his hands over Shunkaku's chest.

He thrust his hips, rubbing his erect member against Shunkaku's, coaxing the other's sexual desires and lust.

"You know you want this; both of us were trapped in our lives in some way. I can sense it deep in you. You were trapped all your life, just like me. Now, you're yearning for freedom. Well, the heavens have smiled down on both of us tonight. Forget about life… Paradise awaits us…" Koutoku purred huskily, his right hand slithering down, grasping the partially erect cock. He smirked as he held it, caressing the end, enticing a foreign array of emotions to cascade over Shunkaku, who gave a moan of rapture.

"K—Ko—Koutoku…" Shunkaku cried out, thrusting into the other's hand. He couldn't possibly explain the sensations that washed over him, but, he couldn't possibly picture anything like this happening against in an eternity.

Kissing the other's neck, Koutoku worked his way over the body of the mysterious traveller he had come across. He gazed up momentarily, his eyes twinkling before he submerged himself into the water. He swam around Shunkaku's legs before he rested his hands on Shunkaku's hips, taking the young prince's erect member in his mouth, his tongue moving swiftly over the surface.

Mewing, Shunkaku dropped his head back; never had he felt such strong arousing sensations that made his young body yearn hungrily for more. The lustful desire, festering within him, gluttonously fuelled his need for more of this sinfully intoxicating pleasure. He cried out the name of his enigmatic aficionado.

Surfacing, Koutoku smirked. "You want more, don't you? I know I do, there is something about you that I can't resist; you've bewitched me with your eyes. I'm under your spell, Shunkaku. You have captured me; you're holding me hostage… Not that I'm not enjoying it." He purred lecherously.

"I… I… Oh god… Koutoku…" Shunkaku cried out, gasping for air. The sensations were far too much for his experience, testosterone ridden teen body. The pulsating hormones wouldn't give him a rest. They sent him spiralling into an inescapable realm of lecherous desires and needs.

His hands grasped Koutoku's head, as he unconsciously thrust into the other's mouth, feeling an edgy onset of rapture setting in, yet, he missed it marginally. It left him panting hungrily for more. He didn't know how much more he could take. All he knew was that he needed more…

"Koutoku…" he moaned.

"Quiet, Shunkaku… I'm far from finished. I'm slowly getting there." Koutoku hissed, as he emerged from the pond, droplets of water falling from him; droplets of water trickling down his face and body. The dew drops of moisture over his body glistened beneath the full moon overhead.

His hands moved soothingly over Shunkaku's body as he prepared to take it further. Holding the young prince close, Koutoku thrust his hips against those of the young prince. "You're as much of a virgin as I am; you've never seen or experienced the world. Let this be our initiation…"

"But…Koutoku…."

"I thought, I told you to be quiet. We aren't real; this is an escape from reality." Koutoku explained, as he held the young prince close, and thrust up into the other's body.

Shunkaku gasped, dropping his head back. How sensual this felt. Rhapsody coursed his body in electrical pulses, which came one after another, no intervals as he let himself be taken by this stranger, who was just as much of a virgin as he was, though, yet, in many ways wasn't.

"Harder…" he panted, his lust at bay as his hands moved down, grasping Koutoku's ass, holding him closing, urging him on. "F-fa-faster! Oh god…. Koutoku!"

Following the desires of the other, Koutoku did just that as he held the other. He could feel himself getting drawn closer to the rapture of the downfall; the climax. He didn't know how to avoid it. All he could do was continue to give into the desire of young prince.

Mewing plaintively, Shunkaku held the other boy close. He felt like he was about to drop for an eternity as the other thrust against him hard fast and with so much force that Shunkaku felt himself shot up into this soaring ecstasy before he dropped from it, the intoxicating affects lingering in his mind.

Crying out, Koutoku collapsed against Shunkaku, who was panting heavily, leaving him to bring the two of them to the shore. They were close enough to make it, but barely. Once there, Shunkaku dragged them onto the ground and he too collapsed, holding Koutoku close.

They lay there. They had their eyes closed.

The only light in the area was now the light of the moon that still shone brightly. The light from the lantern that Koutoku had brought died out.

The moon was only out for a few more minutes before it started to sink into the western sky.

Stirring, Koutoku sighed, gazing up. He found it was pitch black. He then gazed at the boy next to him; he couldn't make out the young prince's details, but, could have sworn from earlier that Shunkaku had the same features he did.

Shivering, he reached over and picked up his cloak and wrapped it around them, holding the mysterious traveller close. He sighed, snuggling close. He closed his eyes for what he thought would be a brief moment. The next time he would open them there would be the early lights of morning filtering into the forest.

He groaned, turning over, as he gazed over at what parts of the sky he could see through the sky. It was just before dawn, but, he could vague make out the splash of rich colours; the oranges, pinks and reds that made up the early morning sky.

Sitting up, he gazed over at the traveller. He could vaguely make out the features of the young prince, but not enough to realise just how much he and Shunkaku looked alike.

Turning, he stretched back and removed the cloak from his body, but left it around Shunkaku. Picking up his clothes, he quickly dressed. Taking the unused cloak, he wrapped himself up, grabbed the lantern and silently left the way he came.

However, before he left, he leaned over, kissing Shunkaku on the lips.

"Farewell, stranger for now. One day we will meet again."

Only after the sun had rose further in the sky did Shunkaku stir. He offered a plaintive moan, as he turned over onto his side, his hand unconsciously reaching out. He seemed to be feeling around for something…

His eyes snapped open.

He frantically cast a scrutinising gaze around the vicinity before he sank back.

Had last night really happen, or was it a really strange yet sweet dream?

He went to wrap the cloak around him, but quickly realised that it wasn't his.

'Who was Koutoku?' he thought as he sat up again, reaching for his clothes.

Dressing, he sat on a rock, gazing around.

Jia-Lin neighed, whining as she tried to get free and capture her master's attention.

"What is it, girl?" Shunkaku asked, as he picked up the saddle and bags, fastening them to her body. Taking the cloak in hand, he wrapped it around himself, untied her reins and gracefully mounted and let her go where she wanted to.

He didn't stop her at all. They only stopped when something disturbed her; when another animal bolted hastily from a nearby thicket, startling the mare, causing her to whine and writhe uncomfortably and inevitably throwing her master off her back.

Feeling the motion in time, he fell off with minimal damage.

However, the animal that had been fleeing was followed by an arrow with accidentally pierced the neck of Shunkaku's prized mare.

Preparing himself, Shunkaku drew his sword, only to lower it when he watched a young man; the very mirror image of himself emerged from the thicket, carrying what appeared to be a hunter's bow and arrow. They were lowered as the young man approached the young prince.

"I'm sorry about that." The mirror image of Shunkaku said, as he bowed. "Please forgive me; I was merely trying to gather venison for supper tonight."

"Accidents happen. At least no one was hurt." Shunkaku assured the mirror image of himself. He attempted to hide his shock as he spoke.

"Some accidents are good." The young man purred.

Arching an eyebrow, Shunkaku gazed warily at the newcomer. "What do you mean?" Then added to himself, 'and why does his voice sound so familiar?'

"Such as this meeting, a chance meeting that only happens once in an eternity. Last night and then now…"

"You…"

"Yes, Shunkaku…" Koutoku smirked, as he placed his bow over his shoulder. "Last night…" he leaned in, kissing the other on the lips. "Was only by chance; who knew that fate would be so kind? This is a sign…"

"But… You look identical to me!" Shunkaku protested. But, it was futile, for as far as Koutoku was concerned, that was only a minor inconvenience.

"One of those flukes of nature, I would guess."

"Doesn't it make you wonder?"

"No, it doesn't."

Shunkaku sighed. This guy was so difficult; yet, he was still drawn to him and couldn't possibly explain why…

Leaning in, Koutoku kissed Shunkaku. "Seeing how I've accidentally shot your horse, maybe I should offer you some compensation. We do have a couple of horses that are apparently from the king himself! My sisters got them when I was born and now that they've married, I have the small house to myself, as well as the horses. Which do, look very much like yours…?"

He turned to Shunkaku. "Who are you really?"

"I'm Shunkaku… I already told you who I am." The young prince retorted.

"But, you're hiding something it's in your eyes." Koutoku replied, gazing hard into the other's eyes.

"I could tell you, but you'd accuse me of lying."

"Do tell, I'm sure it won't be that ludicrous."

"I'm Shunkaku, the only child and heir to the throne. I'm the crown prince."

"But, you don't want to be, don't you? After all, why you are out here? I thought there was something odd about your clothes. Even your cloak is made of such fine material, which tells me that you would have access to the finest tailors, isn't that so? Also, your clothes… Even though you try to dress down, you are not ever going to fit in, you're too elegantly dressed." Koutoku pointed out as he moved around Shunkaku, studying him.

"You are dressed the part, but, your eyes speak otherwise. You don't look like you ere born into royalty, were you now? If you were, you wouldn't be out here. There is something in your blood that calls you back here, doesn't it?"

"That may be so but…"

He gasped, unable to finish as Koutoku aggressively kissed him. Letting him go after a minute, he gazed into the young prince's eyes. "I felt like half a person until last night… You are my other half, Shunkaku. I felt it then and I feel it now."

"Explain what you mean." Shunkaku asked.

"All my life, I felt a slight void in my soul, but, then, you came along. You are my other half. You are that literally, no matter which way to take it, and there is no escaping it. You have no choice but to accept it because you feel the same way, don't you?"

"Well, true, I do…"

Koutoku smirked. "Then, don't return, come with me. Don't do what they want, do what you want. Stay with me. There is no denying that we are two halves of a whole…"

He grasped the other's wrist. "Imagine, freedom…" he whispered softly against Shunkaku's ear. "Sweet, sweet freedom…"

Shunkaku gazed over at Koutoku, considering what he was saying, it made perfect sense. After all, he didn't want the decadent life. He didn't want to pick from the girls that had been presented before him like so much cattle. He didn't want people catering to his needs just because he was the prince. He only wanted someone who would understand him and someone who was his kindred spirit…

Perhaps that was the case here with Koutoku. The link felt strong…

He nodded in concurrence. "Yes, sweet, sweet freedom… Take me to it, Koutoku; take me…"

He closed his eyes, ignoring the sound of his name being called, as Koutoku pulled him in, kissing him hard, quickly and with such fervent passion.

'This is what I'm destined for… I don't need anything else.'


End file.
